Improvement in hoes



J. GILMER.

Hoe.

NQ. 215,735. Patented May 27, 1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH GILMER, OF ALBANY, GEORGIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN HOES.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,7 35, dated May 27, 1879; application filed March 28, 1879. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GILMER, of Albany, in the county of Dougherty and State of Georgia, have invented certain new ahd useful Improvements in Hoes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hoes of that class in which the blades are rendered adjustable or capable of being reversed relatively to the handle, so as to present one edge of the blade after another as it becomes worn or defective as the working or cutting edge of the 110e, whereby the hoe may be preserved in good working condition, by reversing its cutting-edges and bringing a new one into action, long after an unreversible or one-edged hoe would have become inoperative or useless from wear or other cause.

The objects of my present invention are to improve the construction of this class of implements, cheapen their manufacture, increase their reliability and efliciency, and render their adjustment easy, rapid, and secure, which ends I attain in the manner and by the means hereinafter described, the subject-matter of my invention, as claimed by me, being particularly pointed out at the close of this specification.

In the aecompanyin g drawings, which illustrate myimprovements as embodied in the best way at present known to me, Figure l is a front orface view of the hoe with the handleremoved; and Fig. 2, a side or edge view, with the handle shown in dotted lines.

The blade A of the hoe or implement consists, preferably, of a flat four-sided or rectangular plate of steel or other metal suitable for use in the manufacture of hoe-blades. The blade may be thicker toward the center than at its working or cutting edges, for greater durability and strength, and the said edges ofthe hoe may be rounded at the corners slightly, if preferred, or each edge of the hoe otherwise fashioned after the most approved and suitable form of hoe-blades, as desired.

It will be obvious, also, that forms of reversible blades may be employed other than the four sided blade, which will" suggest themselves to those skilled in the art or in the use of such implements, without departing from my invention, which contemplates blades of various shapes and sizes.

The blade A is provided, preferably at its center, with an opening, a, in which the bent end b of a roundshanked bolt, B, is inserted or pivoted, and prevented from being detached by any suitable means-for instance, by flattening said end, as clearly shown in Fig.

2-while leaving the said bent end free to revolve or turn in its bearing in the blade, or the blade to turn around the bolt, in order to enable said blade to be reversed or adjusted relatively tothe handle of thehoe, as will be presently explained.

The eye C of the hoe, which receives the end ofthe helve or handle D, consists of a tubular or socketed plate, through the center of which, transversely at c, is passed the bolt B, around which bolt the eye is free to turn, the outer end of the bolt being provided with screwthreads b', to receive a thumb or clamp nut, E.

The end of the socketed plate or eye C, next the blade A, is provided, preferably, with two arms or claws, c, having hooked or turneddown ends c2, which fit over the edges of the plate, whereby the screwing down or tightening of the thumb-nut clamps the eye or socket plate and blade lirmly and closely together, as shown in the drawings, the arms or claws c of the independent eye constituting a complete brace, and, if the thumb-nut be firmly tightened, permits no rattling or independent movement between the blade and eye or its handle.

Supposing the hoe to have been in use for a length of time sufficient to render it desirable to have a fresh or new cutting-edge, or this should become necessary from fracture or other cause, it is only necessary to loosen the thumbscrew, disengage the edge of the blade from the hooked arms or claws of the eye C, andreverse, turn, or adjust the blade so as to bring any edge or side thereof desired into a position relatively to the handle to be used as the cutting edge, and then, after engaging the claw-arms with the blade, to tighten the thumbnut, when a practically new hoe will be ready for use.

rlhe rapid wear of hoc-blades, particularly when used in certain kinds of soil, renders a reversible hoe very desirable, and it will be obvious that my improvements attain the ends desired in a manner atonce cheap and simple, and liability of clogging' matter adhering to the hoe, if properly constructed, is prevented.

It willbe obvious that the pitch of the hoc,

eye or socket fitting the edge of the blade, and

the bolt and thumb-nut for clamping the blade and socket together.

2. The combination, substantiallyn as hereinbefore set forth, ofthe blade, the tubular eye or socket, its clamping arms or claws, the bolt having a bent or curved end fitting an opening` centrally, or nearly so, of the blade, and the shank of which passes through the tubular eye or socket, and the thumb-nut to clamp the blade and eye together While permitting reversal of the blade.

JOSEPH GILMER.

Witnesses M. H. WHITELEY, W. K. THoMPsoN. 

